By Pat Maloney of Aquila Design

Well spring is here and thoughts of remodeling and landscaping are in the air. We’ll take a quick look at both of these from an energy efficiency standpoint.
If you’re adding on or remodeling your home,  think in terms of using the sun’s energy to help warm your home on those cold winter days. Walls facing south will give you the maximum effects of that energy. By placing the majority of windows on south facing walls you allow the radiant energy of the sun’s rays to enter your home. This will help you keep warm in the winter and it will provide natural light reducing your electric bill.
Now to really get the most out of this free energy there are other steps you can take. This energy can be stored using design features and slowly released after the sun sets. These features are commonly referred to as thermal mass. Concrete or stone make great storage beds so an insulated concrete slab that has direct exposure to sunlight will provide warmth well into the night. The top of the line thermal mass is water. So, if you can come up with a creative design to use it on your project it, will pay off for years to come. On the other hand, wood has a limited capacity to store energy in comparison to the above mentioned materials.



Some of you are probably thinking “That sounds great for the winter but won’t it turn my house into an oven in the summer?” The answer to that question is, yes, if measures aren’t taken. The sun’s arc is higher in the summer than in the winter. If you add awnings or build an overhang over these southern windows this would block the summer rays while allowing the lower winter rays in. A simple rule is the overhang should be one foot above the window and two feet out.

There are many variables and concepts out there for passive thermal design, so consult an expert!
Another way to avoid unwanted sunlight is with proper landscaping. Deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the winter will shade your southern walls in the summer while allowing the light through in the colder months.
The right trees in the right places can have substantial effects on your energy bills. Due to the trees shading and release of water vapor, the air temperature under your tree can be 25 degrees cooler than the air above your driveway! It’s nature’s way to reduce cooling costs.

Trees can also help with your heating bill. In our area the dominant winter wind is from the west. A wind break of evergreens will divert this cold breeze up or around your home. A study in South Dakota found that a wind break on the windward side reduced fuel costs by 25 %. The same study showed that wind breaks placed on the east, west, and north sides of homes reduced fuel consumption by an average of 40%.
Great news isn’t it? Add beauty, oxygen, refuges for wild life and save money! Sounds like we all win here.

Patrick Maloney
Aquila  design/build and insulation  services
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